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Rick, I went the route of gradually cutting back on my work, before eventually going out on disability. I agree with what Joan wrote. But I would add that I find myself doing things that I had never considered before, because Parkinson's has changed my life so much. An example, the day my son was born, I remember thinking about taking him to climb Mt. Rainier some day, taking him soaring (I was a student glider pilot then.), doing Aikido/Judo and other grand physical activities. Well the reality 11 years later is much different than I imagined then. But still is good in many ways, despite PD. I find myself learning much more about chess, so I can help Andrew in his chess club activities. (I did not even know how to play chess 11 years ago.) I am learning about RCX Code, NQC, ROBOLAB, and Visual Basic, because of Drew's interest in LEGO Robots. I had an electric motor put on a "fat wheeled" Schwin "Cruiser" bike, so we can continue biking together. Forgot about climbing Mt. Rainier with him. But National Park camping is o.k. for "gimps" like me. We shot airguns in the backyard and basement, before moving on to .22 rifles at Spokane Rifle Club. (But now I limit my shooting to bench and prone positions.) We fly kites and model rockets, not gliders. (I supervise. He does the assembly.) I do T'ai Chi now, not Aikido, but maybe a "gentle" art would be better for him to. One of the hardest things that I found with early retirement is a changed relationship with male peers that are still working. But I began some volunteer work. Consider doing new things. I went to school in Bellingham (WWU 1975), so I would expect that you will find some interesting opportunities close to home. Charley Countryman 50, diagnosed 1993 > Rick...you said...."the most emotionally draining and > stressful aspect of the job. Amazingly, my organization is accommodating me all > the way, so I will still be able to work and contribute. My biggest problem is > fatigue and lethargy." > > > That's wonderful that you've come so far and you see need > to take care of YOURSELF....Always keep in mind the following > question.... > "Will my PD get worse with or by doing ..._________ > _________ _______, ....all the stress, very little rest....fatigue, > etc........you fill in the blanks with whatever is happening to you ....remember > the "emotional draining" you spoke about also causes fatigue. > > > > You are very fortunate in that you said you have a > "supportive employer, long-term disability policy, great co-workers, wonderful > family." They will all help you. Keep a > positive attitude and know how lucky you are to have them on your side. > Yes, it does "really suck" not to be able to do well what we used to do......but > Remember, even without PD, as a person gets older, they are less able to do a > lot of the things they did as a younger person....it's just the PD gives us an > excuse in this area. We just have different abilities now ....it's > like applying for a job in another field that we were not trained for....we have > some learning to do....it does not take away from who we are but it > gives a chance to learn new and different things.... And, while you > are still "working and contributing" you might want to get involved in > something now that will provide the personal value for you when > you finally quit work....find some things that you can continue to do after your > finally leave work.......that you've always wanted to do but didn't have the > time for ...... it's a big adjustment but I can only tell you that, in > hindsight, it was the best thing for me although I didn't know it at the > time.....Good luck...Joan Hartman > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: Rick Hermann > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Sent: 2/11/02 2:39:22 PM > > Subject: keeping my job > > > > > > Hello, > > --- Joan Hartman > > --- [log in to unmask] > > --- EarthLink: It's your Internet. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn